Sunday, January 3, 1999 Published at 08:27 GMTUKFamily life 'under threat'Hume: City traders should have refused to work over festive periodTwo leading churchmen say family life is being ruined by "capitalist" companies who make employees
work unsociable hours.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Basil Hume,
and the new Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, both say anti-social
working hours and placing profit as priority is putting children's future under threat.

Hume: Children's future under threat.

Speaking on GMTV's Sunday Programme Cardinal Hume says: "Sometimes from early morning
till late at night the children don't have contact with their parents and then
when their parents come home, they're dog tired.

"Flexible hours are often, as I understand it, to suit the firm or the
industry ... but not actually suiting what is important or possible for the
family."

The bishop said society and the government should do all it could for the good
of the family.

In an outspoken attack on modern employment practice Cardinal Hume says city
traders should have refused to work over Christmas to prepare for the
introduction of the euro.

Discrimination against the family

On the same programme, Bishop Jones, who was Tony Blair's personal choice to
succeed David Sheppard, calls for an overhaul of the tax and benefits system to
support the family.

He says: "The tax system is not neutral as far as the family is concerned, it
is discriminating against the family. And we all know that when you have
children, that's one of the most expensive times of your life.

"A salary which feeds one or two people ought to be taxed very differently
from a salary that feeds four or five people," he said.

Urging employers to take more account of the family, Bishop Jones says: "I
think the way some people are made to work is very destructive of family life
and people who lead companies ought to be more responsible."